A Soul in Need
by Desdemoni
Summary: Draco Dresia Malfoy is the daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. It is the start of her 6th year at Hogwarts, and she's beginning it with a mission from the Dark Lord himself. What will happen when a certain somebody discovers her secret, despite her best attempts to hide it? F/F (Rated M because I'm paranoid on how things will progress. I want options. Yes, summary sucks, Sorry)
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is my very first fanfiction story, so I ask that you readers go gently on me. I'm wanting to produce stories where traditionally male characters are portrayed as female. I'm finding a distinct lack of F/F fanfic that makes sense, so this is my attempt. Read, rate, or ignore, but please don't curse me out. :P_

Draco Dresia Malfoy had just kicked Harry Potter in the face after covering him with his own invisibility cloak, and damn did it feel good. Dres had never gotten the opportunity to truly take out her hatred on the Boy Who Lived in a way that was as satisfying as the methods she used now. ' _Muggle violence is more satisfying then cursing, it appears',_ Dres thought to herself.

After giving the invisible form of Harry a small sneer, she quickly walked off the train, happy that everybody had already departed except for the struggling first years who were rushing to finish putting on the last part of their robes as they ran off the Hogwarts Express. Allowing herself one more sneer, she walked past them with the grace of a pureblood, but it was a grace she didn't feel. Her snow-white hair was braided into an elegant bun that sat atop her head, and her face had a few glamour charms to hide the near purple bruised bags under her eyes from lack of proper rest. She had to learn the glamour charms from her mother, in order to hide the effects of the hell that was her home caused her. It wouldn't do to be the richest pureblood in wizarding society and look like a hag.

She shifted her eyes upwards as she made her way to the carriage, the imposing sight of Hogwarts herself in the near distance, filling her with a sense of safety she hadn't felt in weeks. Hagrid was calling all the first years towards the lake, where the fresh blood would take the boat ride to Hogwarts, and make a lasting impression on them all.

She shifted her sleeve absently, suddenly remembering she was returning to Hogwarts an undercover Deatheater. Dresia never hated herself more in that moment then she had before. Nausea rolled tightly in her stomach as she boarded an empty carriage, hoping nobody would enter, and if they did, that her mask would maintain its perfected arrogance. She especially hoped that neither Crabbe nor Goyle would board the carriage. The last thing she needed was her so called protectors that her father assigned her to see her in any way unsettled.

Luck was not with Dres on this evening, however, because in came the mudblood Hermione Granger and the blubbering oaf Ronald Bilius Weasley. On an average day, Dresia would have sneered and made a smart remark about the lack of money the Weasley family possessed, or perhaps snidely insulted Hermione. Yet, she just couldn't seem to muster up the effort.

"This carriage is taken", she said simply, hoping beyond hope they would behave disgusted and file out to avoid her. She had no such luck.

"Did you bloody buy it, Malfoy?", Ronald retorted back, a disgusted hate filled look on his face.

Dresia cocked an eyebrow ever so slightly, "Perhaps I did. It does have my name on it, afterall." With a flourish of her wand that she slipped out of her arm holster, she wrote her full name on the roof of the carriage, smirking cockily. This, of course, caused Ron to turn a bright flaming red in anger. He moved to withdraw his wand, but halted when Hermione touched his arm.

"We aren't leaving, Draco. The other carriages are taken. Do ignore us, and perhaps work on your glamours. They are looking a bit sloppy", said Hermione, a deadpan expression on her face which gave nothing away of her true emotions on the situation. Dres sneered menacingly, but decided the fight wasn't worth it.

She got up and slipped out of the carriage just before they began to move, deciding riding with a buffoon and a know-it-all would just cause her ever short temper to snap. She would rather walk up the Hogwarts grounds herself then waste her precious time arguing with them.

Little did Dres know, Hermione Granger had followed her with her eyes as Dres walked out of the carriage, and she was analyzing every detail she had noted about the infamous Draco Dresia Malfoy. The sloppy glamours, the forced arrogance, and the way she carried herself as if her very soul was defeated. Hermione would never admit it to Harry or Ron, but she felt a twinge of concern for Draco. The budding woman had always been so put together with flawless makeup, a natural arrogance swagger that only came from a pureblood, and no hesitation to pick fights at every interaction with the famous Golden Trio of Gryffindor. Yet, for some reason, she had retreated in a manner very unlike her presented personality.

' _How curious'_ , Hermione thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Dresia made the trek up the road that lead to the entrance of Hogwarts, taking her time with little concern for the sorting or even the feast itself. She had little appetite after being caught with sloppy glamour charms to make up for the lack of cosmetics she usually indulged. Silently cursing to herself as she used her wand to fix her charms, she realized that if a Gryffindor could spot the sloppy work, every Slytherin in sight would notice. She'd have to take care and tread lightly among her usual Slytherin crowd. Any and every move would be reported by those loyal to the Dark Lord.

Logically, she knew this task to be near impossible. How would a mere student ever overpower Dumbledore himself? Yet, she was assigned to be his executioner. Dres was not ignorant of the potential power play her task was. She was very much aware that completing this task would restore the credibility of her family, but she knew her failure was more likely.

 _'My failure and death is most likely a punishment for my father's own failures, but I will not give the Dark Lord the satisfaction'_ , Dresia thought to herself. Somehow, some way, she would succeed. If only to spare her mother the pain of watching her only child die from a botched mission.

Dresia walked up to the imposing front door entrance at Hogwarts, only to find Severus Snape glowering at her for her lateness. He was dressed in his usual black attire, with hair as greasy as the last time she remembered seeing it in her home. His billowing cape moving with the chilly night wind. He turned his nose up as Dresia approached, clearly displeased with her arrival.

"How very late you are, Miss Malfoy", Snape commented.

Dresia could only muster a look that portrayed how very much she did not care about her tardiness. Waving her hand flippantly, she walked past him with a slight sway in her hips that was a simple attempt to display her signature arrogance. Snape's eyes narrowed briefly at her response, but he did not think commenting would be the best option. They both knew she was on a mission, and that remaining under the radar was imperative. It wouldn't do for him to deduct points and punish her accordingly, not with the way Snape so favored his little snakes.

Severus quickly strode in front of Dresia, making it obvious she was to follow him to the Great Hall, which she did wordlessly. As he pushed the doors open to reveal them to the school, she schooled her face into the best smirk she could muster and changed her step slightly so that she appeared to own the place.

Several eyes looked on, but the only eyes of importance were those at the Slytherin table. Dresia walked gracefully to an open spot at the table across from Crabbe and Goyle, but next to Daphne. Crabbe and Goyle paid her no mind, clearly more focused on the feast before them, but Daphne's eyes narrowed slightly at Dresia, taking in the state of the Malfoy. Dresia looked her straight in the eye with a menacing gleam that practically dared the other budding woman to comment. She felt a deep sense of relief when Daphne decided against a small confrontation, because she really couldn't handle it on her first day.

Dresia took a moment to look around at the other tables, taking stock of all who was there. When her eyes landed on the Gryffindor table, she caught a set of chocolate brown eyes staring back at her. They belonged to none other then the Gryffindor princess herself, and this caused Dresia to form a near instant sneer of pure disgust for Hermione. How dare the mudblood stare her down after blatantly insulting her in the carriage?

'No matter,' she thought, _'she is not important, but I may have to put my guard higher if she continues to pay attention.'_ It was then she looked away from the eyes to notice that the once bushy haired girl no longer had something akin to an afro on her head. Instead she had natural honey brown curls that framed her face, and it looked oddly… beautiful on her.

' _What the bloody hell am I thinking?_ ', Dresia thought with contempt. Turning back to her food, she ignored the muggleborn witch and forced her out of her thoughts.

Hermione Granger watched Draco saunter into the Great Hall as if she owned them all, arrogance plastered on her face like a second skin. On principle, she despised the snowy blonde, but something had seemed off in the carriage and Hermione wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not. Examining Draco for any significant differences, she noticed the glamour charms were improved and nearly impossible to spot. Yet the corner of her eyes held stress, her face looked just ever so slightly strained, as if she was forcing her current expression. She carried herself exactly the same, and if one was not paying meticulous attention then they'd be none the wiser to the very subtle signs of difference in Draco.

Hermione was known for her meticulous nature, and intense observationial skills. She knew something was off, even if nobody else saw it. Suddenly, Harry stumbled into the Great Hall, clutching his nose in an attempt to staunch the blood flow coming from it. Hermione moved quickly to his side, worry etched into her face.

"Harry! What happened? Where were you?", she whispered urgently as she pulled out her wand and moved his hand from his face. "Episkey", she whispered with a quick flourish of her wand, giving Harry no time to prepare.

"Augh!", cried Harry, rubbing his nose slightly as the spell did it's work. "Thanks, Hermione.", he said as he sat down. "I was stuck on the train, and if it wasn't for Luna, I'd have never made it here. Malfoy caught me spying, petrified me, and then kicked me in the face. It broke my nose."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "That foul bloody git. I told you spying on Malfoy was a bad idea."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair gingerly, clearly thinking. Harry and Ron had engaged in a deep discussion on the things Harry heard while stowed away in Malfoy's compartment. Biting her lip slightly, she decided to compartmentalize her observations of Draco, and redirect her attention to the year ahead of her. This was the year she began N.E.W.T level classes, and Hermione couldn't wait. She'd nearly worked her way through half of her textbooks, and was thrilled with the knowledge she'd acquire this year. Yet, in the back of her mind, she knew she'd need to master everything she could. This war with Voldemort was coming, and she had a suspicion it was coming fast.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Draco slipping away from the feast and out of the Great Hall doors. Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly, and she contemplated following her. Making up her mind, she stood abruptly.

"I'm going to the library to get a head start on my studying. I'll see you both in the common room." Ron groaned, and Harry shook his head slightly, but both boys knew better then to argue with Hermione when it came to the library and studying. It was her favorite place, and they knew nothing would divert her from her studies with N.E.W.T level classes this year.

Walking briskly out of the Great Hall, she barely caught the sight of snow colored hair rounding a corner, and curiously in the opposite direction of the dungeons. Hermione followed quickly, attempting to catch up without being noticed. She followed Draco up several floors, and it quickly recognized where she was headed. The Room of Requirement.

Cursing silently to herself, Hermione realized that whatever reason Draco had for heading to the Room of Requirement, it wasn't good. Hermione made a split second decision, acting entirely on impulse.

Quickly she let her wand slide out of its holster on her arm as she sped up to grab Draco's arm. However, Draco suddenly whirled around, wand at the ready and firmly pointed towards Hermione.

Hermione raised her wand accordingly, and narrowed her eyes. There was a tense stand off, lasting several moments before Draco spoke.

"Why are you following me, mudblood?", she spat in Hermione's direction. The tension grew with every second that passed between them. Dresia being entirely on edge, especially so soon after arriving back at school. Her nerves were officially short circuiting, and it showed in the slight tremor of her hands as she held her wand in a death grip.

Unfortunately, her sleeve had slipped just a bit, as the arm she held her wand in happened to be the same arm that the Dark Mark was forced upon. This did not escape Hermione's notice.

"Malfoy, what is that on your arm?", Hermione whispered, entirely ignoring Draco's question. Hermione was horrified as she'd know the look of the Dark Mark anywhere, even at just a glimpse. She knew Draco's father was affiliated with the Deatheaters, but she never imagined they'd indoctrinate somebody so young. Draco was an awful person, but there was much to be said about her character if one watched closely. Draco was a spoiled brat, but she struck nobody outside of Slytherin as potential Deatheater material.

Dresia was cracking, panic setting in. She'd been caught. She'd been caught on the first day, and by one of the Golden Trio at that. Everybody trusted those three, and all it would take was one word from Hermione. She'd be in Azkaban before the night was through.

Hermione watched the sheer panic flit across Draco's face. Her beautiful features marred by the look, and all Hermione could feel was a draw to her. She felt nearly compelled to ease the other girls' pain, but had not a clue how to do so in a way that would be welcomed. Hermione knew what panic felt like, she knew was fear was, and she knew she never wanted another to truly feel that if she could help it.

Suddenly, with a flick of Draco's wand, a spell shot forth towards Hermione. With a quick jump to the side, she narrowly avoided the red color of what might've been a Reducto spell.

"Draco! Stop! I don't want to fight you, especially since the feast will be ending soon. We'll be caught.," Hermione rushed out, hoping the other girl would freeze before decided to launch another spell.

She was in luck, because Dresia stopped mid spell. She was trying to take in Hermione's words, and in her panicked state, her vulnerability showed. Dresia was trembling all over, images of the Dark Lord's wrath flitting through her brain, followed quickly by the horrors that people experienced in Azkaban.

Suddenly, Dresia made a snap decision. She couldn't be caught, and she had absolutely no intention of going without a fight. She had to get out; self preservation demanded it. With a flourish of her wand, she confidently rang out the single word "Obliviate", and pulled the memory of this confrontation from Hermione's mind.

The spell was said so fast, Hermione had no time to react before she blacked out and collapsed from the sudden assault on her mind.

Breathing heavily, Dresia took one look at the slumped girl, and turned on her heel to the nearest route back to the dungeons.

The Room of Requirement can wait for a few days.

Hermione groaned and shifted in her sleep. Something was off though. She wasn't on a bed, in the Gryffindor common room, and she definitely did not hear the soft snores of her roommates. Where was she?

She suddenly became aware of the pain in her head. Had she hit it? Letting out another soft groan, she shifted her body to try and sit up, finally becoming truly aware of her surroundings. She was in an empty corridor. What on earth had happened to her?

Standing, she rubbed her temple, trying to ease the ache behind her forehead. Blinking rapidly, she looked around again and tried to remember how she got there. The last thing she could remember was seeing the Malfoy heir escape the feast far too soon, and due to her suspicions, she went to follow her. After that, it was like looking into a black abyss. Nothing was there.

Raking her fingers through her hair, she became very unsettled. Something had happened, and she needed to know what it was. Quickly she made her way to the Gryffindor common room, wandering through the corridors and halls at a slow pace to account for the severity of her headache. Once she reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, she hastily mumbled the password she'd memorized from before the feast and ignored the Fat Lady's comment about silly children waking her up late into the night.

She found no sight of the boys, so she walked to her room and quickly changed into sleep attire for the night. Drawing the curtain around her bed, she crawled under the covers and closed her eyes.

Only a few moments later, true sleep claimed her.


End file.
